Steering Column lower bearing
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 945
Likes: 1
Steering Column lower bearing
I rebuilt my T/T steering column and have it back together and everything works.
What should be the easiest part of this job has me puzzled. Per the attached document I can see no way the bearing is contained in place. It just slides off the shaft with everything assembled.
Any ideas? Did I receive the wrong replacement bearing? The other two parts match my old parts correctly. The old bearing was cut off because it was fronzen on the shaft so I have nothing to compare.
Click to launch. Click again after launch to clear up the pic.
What should be the easiest part of this job has me puzzled. Per the attached document I can see no way the bearing is contained in place. It just slides off the shaft with everything assembled.
Any ideas? Did I receive the wrong replacement bearing? The other two parts match my old parts correctly. The old bearing was cut off because it was fronzen on the shaft so I have nothing to compare.
Click to launch. Click again after launch to clear up the pic.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 971
Likes: 7
From: roanoke va
I just put my column back in today and I replaced the lower bearing also. The adapter has a small cut out that the bearing is pressed into. It is only about 1/4 to 3/8 of an inch recess that the bearing sits into and on my GM bearing it also had an o-ring inside the inner part of the bearing that held the bearing tight onto the shaft.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 945
Likes: 1
I just put my column back in today and I replaced the lower bearing also. The adapter has a small cut out that the bearing is pressed into. It is only about 1/4 to 3/8 of an inch recess that the bearing sits into and on my GM bearing it also had an o-ring inside the inner part of the bearing that held the bearing tight onto the shaft.I have a circlip on my '73 but it only locks the reinforcement #69 to the colar of the shaft and not the adapter (retainer) #67 or the bearing.
So, either I have to rely on rust and corrosion to hold the bearing in place (it sure had the old one held in place. I had to cut it out with a Dremel). Or, find some other way to bind the inner race to the shaft.
Intermediate
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 38
Likes: 0
From: central coast CA
The retainer and the clip are what keeps the bearing from sliding down the shaft. When I put my bearing in the adapter It took some force to get it seated. No way was it going to fall out. With the bearing in the adapter, put the assembly into the retainer making sure the three recessed areas on the adapter are lined up with the three slots on the retainer. Slide the whole assembly onto the shaft until the three slots on the retainer match up to the three slots on the column housing. When you put the clip in it goes throuth the slots in the retainer and the slots in the column housing, thats what keeps the bearing assembly from sliding down the shaft. If the bottom picture in your post is the way you have it set up, the bearing is on the wrong side of the retainer. Mine was hard to do, trying to compress the spring while putting the retainer clip in.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 945
Likes: 1
The retainer and the clip are what keeps the bearing from sliding down the shaft. When I put my bearing in the adapter It took some force to get it seated. No way was it going to fall out. With the bearing in the adapter, put the assembly into the retainer making sure the three recessed areas on the adapter are lined up with the three slots on the retainer. Slide the whole assembly onto the shaft until the three slots on the retainer match up to the three slots on the column housing. When you put the clip in it goes throuth the slots in the retainer and the slots in the column housing, thats what keeps the bearing assembly from sliding down the shaft. If the bottom picture in your post is the way you have it set up, the bearing is on the wrong side of the retainer. Mine was hard to do, trying to compress the spring while putting the retainer clip in.
You mentioned "sliding the whole assembly onto the shaft". Was yours a slip fit or as others have mentioned they have a press fit? My bearing just slips up the shaft.
The tilt/tele doesn't have a spring.
Anyone have a pic of the adapter, bearing and retainer unassembled but lined up in the correct orientation for assembly?
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 2,609
Likes: 12
From: Massapequa Park NY
The bearing goes in first then the retainer then the clip. It's a snug fit, you may need to clean up the shaft and/or the column tube with some emery cloth to remove any rust build up.
Jim
Jim
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Intermediate
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 38
Likes: 0
From: central coast CA
I just looked at Jim Shea's steering papers, you are corrrect, they say the tilt/tele column doesn't have a spring. When I rebuilt my column last year (1972 tilt/tele) I replaced the lower bearing and mine had the spring in it. The kit I ordered had a spring in it so I replaced the spring. I've owned the car since 1988 so it's had the spring in it the whole time. Boy, I sure don't feel like pulling the column to take the spring out. Anyway, I just looked at my old bearing assembly and the bearing is definitely seated into the adapter. the order of the assembly on the shaft is the bearing adapter first, then the bearing which is seated into the adapter (the larger face of the bearing should be pointed outward towards the steering box) and then the retainer. Hope this helps. Yes, mine was a slip fit.
Last edited by yezbozz; Feb 23, 2009 at 01:41 PM.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 945
Likes: 1
Thanks to you all for the help and comments. I'm convinced I am installing the parts correctly. I am going to buy (again) another bearing and adapter and see if they fit together with a press fit and that the bearing has a press or tight fit on the shaft. Currently the bearing is a loose slide fit on the shaft.
Unless anyone sees something backwards or in the wrong order in the pix I'm going forward. I understand how the circle clip snaps into the slots, etc. so clocking the parts not the issue.
Unless anyone sees something backwards or in the wrong order in the pix I'm going forward. I understand how the circle clip snaps into the slots, etc. so clocking the parts not the issue.
Intermediate
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 38
Likes: 0
From: central coast CA
The order in which you have the parts is correct. However, the bearing and the adapter (white plastic piece) go on as a single unit. When I put my bearing into the adapter I put a little lubricant on the part of the bearing that goes into the adapter housing and had to give it a pretty good whack with a seal installer to get it to seat.
Last edited by yezbozz; Feb 23, 2009 at 03:08 PM.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 2,609
Likes: 12
From: Massapequa Park NY
Thanks to you all for the help and comments. I'm convinced I am installing the parts correctly. I am going to buy (again) another bearing and adapter and see if they fit together with a press fit and that the bearing has a press or tight fit on the shaft. Currently the bearing is a loose slide fit on the shaft.
Unless anyone sees something backwards or in the wrong order in the pix I'm going forward. I understand how the circle clip snaps into the slots, etc. so clocking the parts not the issue.
Unless anyone sees something backwards or in the wrong order in the pix I'm going forward. I understand how the circle clip snaps into the slots, etc. so clocking the parts not the issue.
Certainly looks right to me. Does the bearing fit into the adapter when it is not in the tube? It's been a while since I did mine, but I remember everything went together fairly easily. Try a little lube on the outside of the bearing
Jim